FCA questioned whether the outcome was related to the method the institute’s engineers used to attach the vehicle to the crash propulsion system, according to the institute’s news release Thursday. The institute agreed to conduct a second test using a method approved by FCA. That test also resulted in the vehicle tipping on its side.
“This is the first time one of our audit tests has resulted in a different outcome than the manufacturer’s test,” Young said.
FCA is working on addressing the situation, and the institute will retest the Wrangler afterward, he said.
“FCA has produced more than 500,000 of these vehicles,” said Eric Mayne, a spokesman for the automaker. “By conservative estimate, they have accounted for 6.7 billion miles of on-road driving. From this population, we are unaware of any incidents that correlate to the vehicle dynamic portion of the IIHS test result.”
IIHS said the Wrangler performed well in its roof strength evaluation and received a good rating.
The 2020 Jeep Wrangler earned a four-out-of-five-star frontal crash rating from NHTSA and a three-out-of-five-star rollover rating.
Mayne said the Wrangler “meets or exceeds all federal safety standards,” adding “no single test determines vehicle safety.”
